US: Fresh Thyme Market celebrates $400,000 in donations to local food banks
Fresh Thyme Market, a grocer that has a mission to improve the way communities eat by offering real fresh food, is proud to announce for Hunger Action Month that it has donated over $400,000, the equivalent of around 4mln meals ($1 helps provide at least 10 meals), to the Feeding America network of food banks and other local food banks in 2023.
Source: prnewswire.com
Uber Eats to accept SNAP benefits in 2024
Uber Eats said it would begin accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for groceries beginning next year, following the nationwide rollout of SNAP acceptance at Instacart.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: FreshRealm strengthens its leadership position as the complete fresh meal solution company with new leadership roles and expanded distribution channels
FreshRealm, the leading national omnichannel fresh meals platform, announced it has appointed Snow Le as President to lead the day-to-day operations, specifically focusing on scaling the company's business systems structure for long-term success. With the addition of Le to the executive team, Michael Lippold, Founder & CEO, will focus time on building strategic partnerships and expanding corporate development efforts.
Source: prnewswire.com
Amazon steps up AI race with up to $4bln deal to invest in Anthropic
Amazon.com said it will invest up to $4bln in cash in the high-profile startup Anthropic in its effort to compete with growing cloud rivals on artificial intelligence.
Source: reuters.com
US: Kroger debuts first-of-its-kind Hispanic concept in Houston
Houston is landing a first-of-its-kind Kroger, one that specifically caters to its neighbors in the community. The Southbelt/Ellington store serves a population made up of over 50% Hispanic-Latino customers, Kroger reps said.
Source: chron.com
Jokr raises $50mln in Series D funding
Jokr, a Berlin, Germany-based provider of online grocery delivery services in Latin America, raised $50mln in Series D funding. The round, which valued the company at $800mln post-money, was led by Convivialité Ventures with participation from Lombard Odier and existing backers G Squared, GGV, Balderton Capital, Monashees, Greycroft, and Tiger Global.
Source: finsmes.com
New Zealand: Countdown launches new Low Price program
Countdown has announced a new "low price" program, which includes fresh vegetables, dairy, and bread products for the first time. But data shows consumers are yet to be convinced by the supermarket chain's $400mln rebrand back to Woolworths.
Source: stuff.co.nz
Holland: PLUS commences transition to organic potatoes
Dutch retailer PLUS is gradually switching to organic potatoes in the fresh segment. The retailer has launched unprocessed organic potatoes in one-kilogram bags, which are priced the same as regular potatoes. PLUS will pay the difference in price to farmers, it said.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Waitrose to relocate 'terribly organized' shops amid store revamp
Waitrose executive director James Bailey has promised to relocate "terribly organized" shops as part of a major overhaul of its store estate. Bailey told The Telegraph that he wanted to make sure its stores were "more accessible and more appealing" and that it had "the right place in the right postcode."
Source: retailgazette.co.uk
Fresh controversy: Belgian consumers challenge supermarket label
When consumers think of "fresh," they typically imagine products without preservatives, items straight out of the oven, or freshly picked fruits and vegetables. But can any food product be labeled as "fresh," or should manufacturers and retailers adhere to specific guidelines? A spokesperson for the FPS Economy told VRT News that freshness varies by product type. For instance, potatoes can be considered fresh up to eight days after harvest, while fish have a shorter freshness window. Products must also maintain a healthy, sound, and sellable quality to qualify as "fresh."
Source: brusselstimes.com
UK: Morrisons to press ahead with sale of forecourts
Morrisons is pushing on with plans to sell its fuel forecourts despite the Government's shock move to delay a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales by five years. Talks to offload 340 of the petrol stations to Motor Fuel Group (MFG) are continuing. Both firms are controlled by the US buyout group Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
Source: thisismoney.co.uk
Slump in UK retail sales eases in September, CBI says
British retailers reported a smaller annual fall in sales for September than during the previous month and expect a modest improvement in the months ahead, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said.
Source: reuters.com
Value is vital to success - Big story: Cost of living crisis
Nisa retailer Dike & Son director Adam Vincent says: "Because the store buys fruit and vegetables from the market, it can pass on daily deals to customers when there is a glut of a particular type of produce."
Source: talkingretail.com
Romanian healthy snacks startup Unison launches SeedBlink funding round
Romanian startup Unison announced that it is seeking EUR 225,000 in financing on SeedBlink. The company, founded by specialists in plant-based nutrition Tania Nicoară and new-food entrepreneur Tudor Iacob, launched a public fundraising campaign through SeedBlink. The team's plans include diversifying the range of snacks and spreads from nuts, seeds, and fruits, operational development to increase production capacity, and listing in major chain stores.
Source: romania-insider.com
Is Cora going the same way as Makro?
The end of Belgian supermarket chains Match and Smatch raises renewed questions about Louis Delhaize Group's future. In particular, the fate of the seven ailing Cora hypermarkets seems doomed.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Czech retailer Albert expands online delivery service
Grocery retailer Albert plans to expand its online delivery service to cities in the Moravian-Silesian and Olomouc regions in Czechia. The retailer added that it has extended its product assortment by more than 3,000 items and introduced more promotional offers. Albert has also renamed the service to Albert Online.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Khloe Kardashian and I'm a Celeb fruit seller to open shop
An exotic fruit seller who has worked with big-name celebrities in the world of showbiz is set to transform a warehouse into a "tropical oasis" shop. Colin Bannell, 32, from Billericay, has been running My Exotic Fruit since 2014, and his firm has supplied fruits for ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here and to Khloe Kardashian.
Source: echo-news.co.uk
Aldi's UK results pave the way for further expansion, says GlobalData
Positive results from Aldi's UK operations are a sign that the discounter's further expansion into the British market is progressing well, GlobalData has said.
Source: esmmagazine.com